Marie Riverin: It is The Law

Becoming a lawyer requires a great deal of hard work and dedication. The industry has long been dominated by men and only recently, are women able to make a mark, raising the bar higher than it has ever been. Marie Riverin is such a person. Not only does she excel in her career, but she has also stepped into an area which has taken her to the Middle East, to handle stressful negations on behalf her international clients.

To say Marie is busy, is an understatement. Her three offices, Port Perry, Stouffville and Uxbridge keep her hopping. She speaks extremely highly of her network of paralegals and administrative assistants, which Marie refers to as the foundation of her success.

I am always curious how a person gets into their profession, and Marie tells an interesting story, which relates back to her grandfather. “I have always been an avid reader,” she explains. “My grandfather was very interested in all things legal, as well as municipal politics and local history.”

Being the owner of a general store in rural Quebec, he had great opportunities to interact with many people of influence and knowledge, and would share his stories and opinions with Marie.

“I remember him saying how being a lawyer would be the ultimate profession,” Marie continued. “My grandmother subscribed to a legal magazine, and I could not wait for it to arrive.” Marie would read the magazine cover to cover. Remember, this was when she was only 12 years old.

Marie followed her passion and has two law degrees. The first is civil law, and she is celebrating her 30th year since she was called to the bar in Quebec. For three years she practiced bankruptcy litigation until an opportunity to relocate in Ontario arose. Marie jumped on it. “My passion was making deals, rather than writing about them, and I loved negotiating on behalf of clients.”